Famous feline

Sanchez, an 18-month-old Siamese cat owned by Amy Lawson, of Kirksville, is featured on Oct. 9 in “The 365 Days of Kittens A Year” calendar.

Jason Hunsicker

Open "The 365 Days of Kittens A Year" calendar to October 2013 and you'll see cats from Japan, Germany, California, Washington, New York and Arizona.

Take a look at Oct. 9, and you'll see something else.

Sanchez, an 18-month-old Siamese cat, from Kirksville, Mo.

This year's edition of the calendar, produced annually by Workman Publishing, features the white fur and piercing blue eyes of Sanchez, both on Oct. 9 and as one of the 28 felines featured on the calendar's cover.

Kittens featured in the calendar are selected by a panel of judges from submissions around the world.

Sanchez' owner, Kirksville's Amy Lawson, had purchased the 2012 calendar, read of the contest, and submitted two photos - that of Sanchez, as well as her other Siamese cat, 6-year-old Chong, in February.

"I thought, what the heck, may as well," she said.

She was surprised when Workman Publishing sent her notification of Sanchez' selection and a copy of the calendar in October.

The cats, however, received more of a surprise, as when Lawson opened the package and playfully announced the good news to Sanchez, sirens began sounding.

"I'd forgotten to deactivate the [home security system]," Lawson said with a laugh. "The cats took off running."

Susan Bolotin, Editor-in-Chief of Workman Publishing, said they receive thousands of submissions each year for their various cat and dog calendars.

"It used to be that most of the photos came in as 'real' prints; our offices would look like Santa's Workshop, filled with bags and bags of mail," she said.

Nowadays, the submissions are mainly digital, and a team is left sorting through images, searching for "beauty, wit, variety, and artful composition," in addition to the "ahhh" factor. Calendar editors are brought in after the first cut to make the final selections on which animals will grace the different products.

"It's never an easy decision," Bolotin said. "Everyone who submits a photo of a pet thinks that theirs is the most beautiful or the cutest or the funniest, and we tend to agree. Still, we think that setting the bar very high makes for calendars that people love to look at day after day, year after year."

Lawson has always been a cat person and has had cats since a child. A few years ago she owned both Chong and Cecil, an 18-year-old Siamese, and when Cecil passed away Chong developed anxiety issues.

"He just needed another friend," Lawson said.

She set out to find that friend and her search took her to Wyaconda, where she purchased Sanchez. They get along well, Lawson said.

"They have a lot of personality and both of them are very talkative," Lawson said.

For Sanchez, his calendar spread will take him back to his youth, Lawson said, saying he's now "just a tubby, Siamese cat."

"He is just a little butterball," she said. "He's a playful cat. He loves all sorts of toys. He's constantly putting toys in your shoes."

Lawson said she's tried to show Sanchez his photo in the calendar, but where it's a source of pride for her, Sanchez is above the hoopla.